Hong Kong variety show: The mastermind behind the scenes is emerging.

The Peninsula Hotel, a top-tier hotel known as the "Lady of the Far East," is currently immersed in the languid afternoon. A huge crystal chandelier casts a soft glow, the lobby is filled with the elegant ambiance of women in lingerie, and the air is thick with the aroma of freshly ground coffee and expensive perfumes.

As soon as Lu Chen entered the lobby, he saw two figures sitting on the leather sofa in the rest area that seemed somewhat out of place.

Ahua was wearing a brand new black suit. Although it fit him well, he seemed a little uncomfortable with the restraint. He kept tugging at his collar, as if the silk tie was a noose around his neck.

The fly sitting next to him was even more restless, his eyes darting around furtively. When he saw the waitress in the high-slit cheongsam walk by, her white thighs made his eyes almost pop out.

"Brother Hua, this place is really high-class. Even plain water costs fifty yuan a cup. It's robbery..." Fly muttered under his breath, clutching the crystal glass tightly in his hand. His palms were sweaty, afraid that he might accidentally break it and he wouldn't be able to afford to pay for it even if he sold himself.

"Shut up, don't embarrass yourself," Ahua hissed, his eyes fixed on the front door like a hawk's.

When Ahua saw the tall figure walking in, surrounded by Tian Yangsheng and Tian Yangyi, the confusion and tension in his eyes instantly disappeared, replaced by a sense of security called "backbone".

He stood up abruptly, and because he moved so quickly, his knee hit the coffee table, almost knocking over the silver tea set on it.

"Boss!"

Ahua strode forward to greet him, and Wuying hurriedly put down his cup, following behind like a shadow.

"Have you been waiting long?" Lu Chen stopped and gently swept his gaze over the two of them.

"No, no! We just arrived! We just sat down and our butts haven't even warmed up yet!" Fly answered quickly, his face full of a fawning smile, as bright as a blooming chrysanthemum.

Lu Chen glanced at the fly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

In the original movie, this guy was a complete troublemaker, a typical "useless and playful" character. But if used in the right context, his reckless personality, which is willing to risk his life for face, can be quite good.

"Let's go see Jiang Tiansheng."

Lu Chen didn't waste any more words. He turned and walked towards the second-floor terrace restaurant. "Stand up straight. Remember, you are now my people, Lu Chen's people. Don't embarrass me when you see me."

"Yes! Don't worry, boss!" Upon hearing this, Ahua's chest puffed out instantly, and his eyes became as firm as iron.

……

Second floor, VIP private rooms.

The view here is superb, offering a panoramic view of Victoria Harbour through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows. At this moment, three people are already seated in the spacious private room.

The man at the head of the group was a young man in his thirties. He was wearing a beige casual suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he had a gentle smile on his face as he slowly sipped his red wine.

If not told otherwise, no one would be able to connect the refined man before them, who resembled a university professor, with the powerful and influential leader of the Hung Hing Society who commanded tens of thousands of followers.

He is Jiang Tiansheng.

Behind him, on his left and right, stood two solemn-looking men.

The one on the left, wearing glasses and with a refined demeanor, is Chan Yiu, the strategist known as "White Paper Fan" of Hung Hing. The one on the right, burly with a menacing face, is clearly a ruthless character; that's "Big B," the leader of Causeway Bay.

However, since it was still a few years before the official start of the Young and Dangerous storyline, the three of them looked much younger than in the movie.

Hearing the door open, Jiang Tiansheng put down his wine glass, stood up, and wore a warm smile.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. Jiang." Lu Chen walked into the private room with a smile.

"No, no, I just arrived. Mr. Lu, I've heard so much about you."

Jiang Tiansheng extended his hand humbly, saying, "Recently, Mr. Lu has been making waves in the stock market and has also made the Garreau brand a resounding success. He has truly opened the eyes of us old folks. Everyone says that Mr. Lu has monopolized eight-tenths of Hong Kong's wealth."

"Mr. Jiang, you're too kind. It was just luck."

Lu Chen reached out and gently shook hands with him. Their hands briefly met in the air, seemingly calm and collected, but in reality, they were both secretly sizing each other up.

After exchanging pleasantries, the two took their seats as host and guest, while Ahua and Wuying stood behind Lu Chen. Although they were a little nervous, they managed to maintain their composure under Lu Chen's aura.

"Mr. Lu, what brings you here today?"

Jiang Tiansheng picked up the red wine and swirled it, observing Lu Chen through the ruby-like liquid. He then asked bluntly, "If it's for business, although I'm a rough man, I'm willing to cooperate with a money-making god like Mr. Lu."

"Business must be done, of course."

Lu Chen leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the table, making a rhythmic "tap-tap" sound. His gaze suddenly sharpened, like two drawn swords: "However, before discussing business, I'd like to borrow something from Mr. Jiang, and then give you something in return."

"Oh?" Jiang Tiansheng raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Borrow what? Give what?"

"I'll borrow the prestigious name of Hung Hing, and then... I'll give you a piece of land as interest."

Lu Chen pointed to Ah Hua behind him, "This little brother of mine is called Ah Hua. He used to work in the 'Gang of Martial Arts'. He's quite skilled and loyal. I'd like him to switch sides and work for you, as a branch leader."

"Of course, I'm definitely here to take advantage of the situation. I won't take the existing Hung Hing territory for the new branch; I'll let Ah Wah take it over himself. I plan to have Ah Wah double the size of the Mong Kok area that belongs to Hung Hing as his territory."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yao, standing behind Jiang Tiansheng, frowned and almost started cursing. What did this mean? Was he trying to get something for nothing?

Jiang Tiansheng paused slightly in his hand holding the wine glass, and the smile in his eyes gradually faded, turning into a deep scrutiny.

"Mr. Lu, isn't this against the rules?"

He was a smart man and immediately understood Lu Chen's plan.

This is about creating a "state within a state".

Using the Hung Hing name, they're planting their flag in Mong Kok as their representatives in the underworld. While nominally they're fighting for Hung Hing's territory, once they actually conquer it, whose orders will those territories and underlings obey?

They will definitely only listen to Ahua and Lu Chen's orders!

In this way, Hung Hing not only nominally expanded its territory but also gained no real benefits. They even had to support Ah Wah and take the blame for him. It was as if Hung Hing was being used as a free protective umbrella.

"Mr. Jiang, please don't be so quick to refuse."

Lu Chen seemed to have anticipated his reaction and calmly offered his bargaining chip:

"Don't worry, Mr. Jiang. I, Lu Chen, will never let my friends suffer losses in business."

"First, although Ah-Hua manages the territory he conquers, I guarantee that he will not pay a penny less of the 'fees' due to the triad, and may even pay 20% more than other branches. Second, he will never interfere in the internal affairs of Hung Hing. At the leadership meeting, his vote will always follow Chiang Sheng, and he will fully support your position as the leader."

Hearing these words, Jiang Tiansheng's expression softened slightly, but that wasn't enough.

But Lu Chen then unleashed his real trump card: "Then comes what I was talking about: doing business—I heard that Mr. Chiang has always wanted to launder Hung Hing's image and become a legitimate businessman? Unfortunately... once you enter the underworld, it's like falling into a deep sea."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Tiansheng, who had originally intended to politely decline, narrowed his eyes.

This is indeed his weakness, and also his greatest ambition.

Since taking over Hung Hing, he has been committed to transforming the triad, not wanting to spend his life as a gangster. However, although he is determined, he lacks business acumen and means.

The man in front of him, Lu Chen, is a recognized business prodigy, which is why he is being so humble today—hoping that Lu Chen can mentor them.

Seeing the flicker in Jiang Tiansheng's eyes, Lu Chen knew the fish had taken the bait.

"Mr. Chiang, you'll never amount to anything by just collecting protection money, valet parking, or publishing erotic magazines."

Lu Chen smiled and offered a tempting offer, "Coincidentally, I recently acquired ATV and plan to establish a large film production company to enter the film industry. I wonder if Mr. Jiang would be interested in investing in my film company?"

"Movies?" Jiang Tiansheng was taken aback. "You can make money making movies?"

In this era, although Hong Kong films were beginning to flourish, most triad bosses had not yet realized that this was a gold mine.

"Of course." Lu Chen pointed to the bustling city outside the window, his tone confident. "Mr. Jiang, have you heard that last year's 'Modern Bodyguard' grossed over seventeen million at the local box office? It also did quite well in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. I have a feeling that Hong Kong cinema will enter a crazy golden age for a long time to come. I plan to take this opportunity to enter the film and television industry. Mr. Jiang, you can wait and see."

"And..." Lu Chen lowered his voice and leaned forward slightly, "The film industry has huge turnover and complicated accounts. For an explosion scene, I say it cost 500,000, but who knows it only cost 50,000? There are hundreds of extras, but I say there were thousands involved. Who can find out? Making movies is not only profitable, but it's also the best 'washing machine'."

"As long as Mr. Chiang agrees, Hung Hing's funds can be managed through my film company. I will entrust the specific business to DOA Group. I will only charge you 20% of the commission; this is a friendly internal rate."

Upon hearing this offer, Jiang Tiansheng was already quite excited. Although he wasn't sure if the movie would make money, it could solve his most troublesome money laundering problem, and the handling fee was only 20%, which was like a windfall!

That's not all, Lu Chen continued, "And once we've secured the territory, I'll have Ah Hua and his gang transform their ways—after all, as my spokesperson, they can't stay gangsters forever. I already have a few ideas, and if they work well with Ah Hua, we can promote them to the entire gang. As for profits—we're all friends, so we can discuss it later."

At this point, Jiang Tiansheng was completely swayed. He was a smart man and had long known that a gang couldn't last. And Lu Chen's established reputation in business had proven effective; Jiang Tiansheng decided to give him a try.

It's just borrowing Hung Hing's name once, there's a good deal to be made!

Jiang Tiansheng took a deep breath, the hesitation in his eyes completely disappearing. "Since Mr. Lu is so sincere, I, Jiang Tiansheng, am not one to be ungrateful. However, I have another question... Mong Kok is a prime piece of land, lucrative and profitable, with various triads having established their presence there. You want Ah Hua to snatch it from their jaws? I wonder which territory you've set your sights on?"

Lu Chen picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and uttered two words: "Dongxing".

"I plan to take over all of Tung Sing's territory in Mong Kok."

"First, Tung Sing and Hung Hing have always been at odds and are mortal enemies. It is perfectly justifiable to fight them, and no one in the underworld can say a word against it."

"Secondly," Lu Chen sneered, "Tung Sing has only been in Mong Kok for a few months, and its foundation is not stable. The 'Tiger Down the Mountain' Crow, who was in charge of setting up the flag, is currently busy running drug routes to the Netherlands, which is the time when the defense is most vulnerable."

"Third..." A hint of disgust flashed in Lu Chen's eyes, "Those Tung Sing gang sells drugs on their own turf. I know Mr. Chiang's rules: Hung Hing will never touch drugs. I, Lu Chen, am the same; I abhor this stuff... In short, I want those drug dealers to leave Mong Kok lying down!"

"Hahaha!" Jiang Tiansheng burst into hearty laughter. He raised his glass to Lu Chen, "Mr. Lu, you're certainly a man of few words! Alright! I, Jiang Tiansheng, will grant you this courtesy!"

He turned to look at Ah Wah, who stood behind Lu Chen with a tense expression, his eyes showing a hint of scrutiny and approval: "I'll have Chen Yao arrange for you to be formally appointed as soon as possible. From now on, you'll be a 'red stick' in the Mong Kok district of Hung Hing. As long as you take over Tung Sing's territory in Mong Kok, you'll be the head of the Mong Kok branch! But young man, I've given you the title. Whether you can sweep Tung Sing out and defend your territory depends on your own abilities. If you lose face, I'll enforce the family rules."

Ahua took a deep breath, stepped forward, clasped his hands in a respectful but firm manner, and said in a loud voice, "Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Jiang! If I couldn't even take down and hold a few streets, I, Ahua, would have no face to follow the boss! I would have no face to live in this world!"

Ah Wah was quite confident about this. He had been in Mong Kok for eight or nine years and was a true local bigwig. Plus, with Lu Chen backing him, he had both manpower and money. If he couldn't beat a fledgling Tung Sing, he might as well just kill himself.

"Good! That's ambitious!"

Lu Chen smiled, raised his glass, and lightly clinked it against Jiang Tiansheng's.

"bite."

The crisp sound of glass clashing echoed in the private room.

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Jiang Tiansheng]

[Checking in at the movie "Young and Dangerous"]

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Points]

【Ding--】

[Key plot character detected: Big B]

[Checking in at the movie "Young and Dangerous"]

[Check-in successful.]

[Reward: +1 Free Attribute Point]